[Maverik259]

I am curious why people buy new tanks before having issues. They haven't designed a new tank (or did they) so not really seeing what you're buying yourself here. I get maybe having one on hand to be ready a first sign or leakage but prematurely swapping them for the exact same thing baffles me a bit.

[AHall]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

I am curious why people buy new tanks before having issues. They haven't designed a new tank (or did they) so not really seeing what you're buying yourself here. I get maybe having one on hand to be ready a first sign or leakage but prematurely swapping them for the exact same thing baffles me a bit.

I think the idea is the tank will fail after X miles or hours driven. So rather than wait until the failure occurs and risk the collateral damage including a dirty engine bay, they are changing the tanks as preventive maintenance. I wonder what percentage of tanks fail and what has been the internal BMW discussions on this issue. It makes little sense for dealers to replace the failing part with the same part especially when injectors and coils are being damaged. Without addressing the cause future failure is seems to be inevitable. I regularly check my tank and coolant levels in both tanks. I have a 2021 and though I have added coolant a few times I have seen no signs of a leak. If only the sensor was not integrated into the tank we could get an aluminum tank fabricated.

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

I am curious why people buy new tanks before having issues. They haven't designed a new tank (or did they) so not really seeing what you're buying yourself here. I get maybe having one on hand to be ready a first sign or leakage but prematurely swapping them for the exact same thing baffles me a bit.

Some people don’t do preventative maintenance, and some do. Not sure whether it is cheaper to do it or not. A tank and cap might be $150. Some may never have to change them and would be wasting money on preventative maintenance. Others might suffer a cracked tank and not notice it right away and damage coils and injectors.

I did some heat reduction and added insulation and installed a lower temp coolant thermostat so I don’t think I will have to change my tank again.

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

Some people don’t do preventative maintenance, and some do. Not sure whether it is cheaper to do it or not. A tank and cap might be $150. Some may never have to change them and would be wasting money on preventative maintenance. Others might suffer a cracked tank and not notice it right away and damage coils and injectors.

I did some heat reduction and added insulation and installed a lower temp coolant thermostat so I don’t think I will have to change my tank again.

Ya I get adding the heat reflective tape. I just don't get replacing if it doesn't fail for the same part. When do you plan to replace that new tank? 20k miles? 15k? 30? Lol I mean it's so sporadic. What if you would never have an issue with your current tank and then you have one with the new one you installed after 1000 miles?

I guess that's my real point. But I do like the heat tape idea.

[pbonsalb]

I replaced once, when my car was over 4 years old and had 35k miles. But I was in there doing other stuff that included things to reduce the likelihood of needing to replace again.

On my E90M3, I changed the rod bearings preventatively when the CPO warranty expired at 6 years. I could have waited until there was a problem….

Everyone has to decide their own path. If you rent the car for 3 years, it is under warranty and you don’t care because you don’t own it and aren’t keeping it. If you have an extended you may not care for the duration of the warranty. I tend to keep cars long past warranty periods and I can DIY.

[Danny D]

.

[Danny D]

I'm Basically replacing my coolant tank every 50,000 KM approx.
for a few hundred bucks and peace of mind I'll take it. - At the same time I will do a new coolant flush, so why not .
@maverick259

Edit - Will be cheaper then new coils plugs, etc.

[Egrunt]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

I am curious why people buy new tanks before having issues. They haven't designed a new tank (or did they) so not really seeing what you're buying yourself here. I get maybe having one on hand to be ready a first sign or leakage but prematurely swapping them for the exact same thing baffles me a bit.

I can understand your mindset on why I am considering the change out when no problem exists. Having worked on military helicopters (USMC UH-1N and AH-1W) as a mechanic (power train and flight controls) / Crew chief (UH-1N Huey) for 20 years, retired for the past 18 years. All aviation components are tracked by hours and changed when the time frame was due even though there was no problem with say the main rotor blade. Comparing an automobile to a helicopter is not the same and I understand that. I complete all the maintenance on my M5 since the free maintenance expired on August of 2021. While I do not have all the data to say if and when my coolant tank will start leaking but I rather forgo the mess in the engine bay and the added cost of coils and injector replacement which seem to happen when the coolant reservoir starts to leak.

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by Egrunt

I can understand your mindset on why I am considering the change out when no problem exists. Having worked on military helicopters (USMC UH-1N and AH-1W) as a mechanic (power train and flight controls) / Crew chief (UH-1N Huey) for 20 years, retired for the past 18 years. All aviation components are tracked by hours and changed when the time frame was due even though there was no problem with say the main rotor blade. Comparing an automobile to a helicopter is not the same and I understand that. I complete all the maintenance on my M5 since the free maintenance expired on August of 2021. While I do not have all the data to say if and when my coolant tank will start leaking but I rather forgo the mess in the engine bay and the added cost of coils and injector replacement which seem to happen when the coolant reservoir starts to leak.

Naval pilot here so definitely understand the 200/400/800 hr mnx schedules. Don't find them much different than the mileage mnx schedules for cars.

The point I'm getting at is at what mileage are people replacing these for peace of mind. Obviously no right answer. Would love to know what mileage people are seeing when they get a leak, etc.

[vanos84]

I think I may have this issue. I recently started a thread about a "burning smell" coming from my car when I stop. Someone chipped in and said that it could be this coolant leak issue with the coolant running down onto the injectors and coils, etc and giving off that funky scent. I just recently read this and it hit me because I have had to top off the coolant quiet a few times and today I pop the hook and see even more signs of a potential problem here. So I snapped a few pics. What you guys think?

[AHall]

Looks like something is leaking. Have you taken the car in for service? I would take it in. What year is your car?

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by vanos84

I think I may have this issue. I recently started a thread about a "burning smell" coming from my car when I stop. Someone chipped in and said that it could be this coolant leak issue with the coolant running down onto the injectors and coils, etc and giving off that funky scent. I just recently read this and it hit me because I have had to top off the coolant quiet a few times and today I pop the hook and see even more signs of a potential problem here. So I snapped a few pics. What you guys think?

Looks like textbook infamous coolant leak you mentioned for sure.

[vanos84]

Originally Posted by AHall

Looks like something is leaking. Have you taken the car in for service? I would take it in. What year is your car?

18... and I do need to get it in soon. Cpo is running out next spring.

[Aronis]

Scored a tank. Arrives tomorrow.

The updated part number is 17137889450

Just to have on hand......

My dad had a new expansion tank installed yesterday at his dealer (Massachusetts)

Mike

[pbonsalb]

I wonder what aspect of the tank was updated.

[Danny D]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I wonder what aspect of the tank was updated.

+1

[vanos84]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I wonder what aspect of the tank was updated.

Or was it updated at all? Is this a known thing?

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by vanos84

Or was it updated at all? Is this a known thing?

It probably wasn't updated or they changed something small for the LCI and just made it a new part number. BMW does that all the time. Maybe a new manufacturer. Who knows.

[MSchfiftyFive]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

It probably wasn't updated or they changed something small for the LCI and just made it a new part number. BMW does that all the time. Maybe a new manufacturer. Who knows.

Everyone does that all the time, manufacturing part revisions can be as simple as a vendor swap of the same spec or an actual defect fix below the manufacturer threshold to require the cost of a recall. It's literally why later model years of the same generation of any brand & model are more reliable. So far I've not seen anyone in this thread w/ an LCI mention this issue and we're at the point where '21's are getting up there in trade-in mileage. Like the noisy brake pads that lingered over to the LCI (having owned a '21 w/ steel brakes that was squealy af from the moment I drove off the lot in all low speed driving scenarios and now a '23 w/ steel that is whisper quiet), it's likely a tiny actual part revision between the tank and the coolant (the coolant color change, could be as simple as rubber seal manufacturing spec on tank + new coolant additive to prevent seal cavitation)

Getting the latest tank part # rev + coolant certainly won't hurt if you're showing any signs of even tiny leaks under the hood, but will be curious if LCI models start seeing this at similar mileages, as this thread has examples of pre-LCI folks encountering below 20K miles.

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by MSchfiftyFive

Everyone does that all the time, manufacturing part revisions can be as simple as a vendor swap of the same spec or an actual defect fix below the manufacturer threshold to require the cost of a recall. It's literally why later model years of the same generation of any brand & model are more reliable. So far I've not seen anyone in this thread w/ an LCI mention this issue and we're at the point where '21's are getting up there in trade-in mileage. Like the noisy brake pads that lingered over to the LCI (having owned a '21 w/ steel brakes that was squealy af from the moment I drove off the lot in all low speed driving scenarios and now a '23 w/ steel that is whisper quiet), it's likely a tiny actual part revision between the tank and the coolant (the coolant color change, could be as simple as rubber seal manufacturing spec on tank + new coolant additive to prevent seal cavitation)

Getting the latest tank part # rev + coolant certainly won't hurt if you're showing any signs of even tiny leaks under the hood, but will be curious if LCI models start seeing this at similar mileages, as this thread has examples of pre-LCI folks encountering below 20K miles.

Now if bmw just would do something about the brake dust I would be all over their LCI pads. Lol

[afk8445]

Originally Posted by vanos84

I think I may have this issue. I recently started a thread about a "burning smell" coming from my car when I stop. Someone chipped in and said that it could be this coolant leak issue with the coolant running down onto the injectors and coils, etc and giving off that funky scent. I just recently read this and it hit me because I have had to top off the coolant quiet a few times and today I pop the hook and see even more signs of a potential problem here. So I snapped a few pics. What you guys think?

So, two days ago, get a funny burning smell when i get out of the car, easy driving = less smell, spirited driving = more smell, anyway, took it in and the dealer opens the hood, expansion tank is leaking....
waiting for replacement now...

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

Now if bmw just would do something about the brake dust I would be all over their LCI pads. Lol

My brake dust is identical between my pre-LCI and my LCI, but the difference in lack of squeal is unbelievable. If the squeal drives you nuts, as it did to me, they're worth replacing for that alone IMO.